


Good Things

by durgasdragon



Series: Nursey's Greatest Birthday/Valentine's Gift Ever [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Little bit of angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/durgasdragon/pseuds/durgasdragon
Summary: Dex finally speaks.  “What the hell just happened?”
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Series: Nursey's Greatest Birthday/Valentine's Gift Ever [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695481
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86





	Good Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cantfuckinbelievethis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantfuckinbelievethis/gifts).



> Twistedmiracle edited the crap out of this! Definitely made it better than it had been. Y'all should thank them for all their hard work!

** Good Things **

_Beta’d by[twistedmiracle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedmiracle/pseuds/twistedmiracle)_

_Disclaimer: This is a purely fan-made piece that is using the world and characters from Ngozi Ukazu’s_ Check Please! _, and is made entirely for enjoyment. No financial gain has been made in the making of this piece. All other situations and plot developments are mine._

 _Summary:_ _Dex finally speaks. “What the hell just happened?”_

_Sequel to ‘The Gift’_

_Author’s Note:[Cantfuckinbelievethis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantfuckinbelievethis/pseuds/cantfuckinbelievethis) asked very nicely for more and I found out that there was, in fact, more to add, so there you go! Enjoy! _ _Possible out-of-characterness._

_Constructive criticism and comments are always welcomed._

_Published: 10 April 2020_

_Rating: T_

Dex follows Chowder, mostly in a daze. They're halfway across the quad on the way to their next class when Dex finally speaks. "What the hell just happened?"

Chowder rolls his eyes slightly. "You and Nursey finally stopped dancing around each other! He said 'yes'!"

"But yes to _what?_ I haven't asked him anything!" Another thought strikes Dex as he holds open the door. “Wait, what you do mean, ‘finally stopped dancing around each other’? We haven’t…I haven’t…I’m not ‘dancing around’ _Nursey_.”

Chowder shakes his head. “Dex. You are my friend and I love you, but…yes, yes, you have been. Isn’t that what that whole thing where you dropped off his birthday present before practice was all about?”

“His hands were going to be full from all the other gifts—he would have tripped or dropped it or something, and this way, he couldn’t! You know as well as I do how clumsy he is!” Dex defends as he takes the stairs two at a time. And honestly? It had been hard enough to leave the present there. He had done it because he didn’t want to see Nursey’s reaction. If it was disgust or disdain, he could’ve probably handled it, but he was pretty sure it would be _pity_ that would flicker over Nursey’s handsome face and _that_ was something Dex couldn’t deal with. It’s for the best this way.

Chowder shakes his head again as they squeeze in just as the professor starts to shut the door, but doesn’t say anything as they hurry to the seats Tango saved for them.

“Hey guys!” Tango whispers as they try to quietly get their laptops out and ready as the professor starts to lecture. “I was getting worried! What happened?”

The professor gives them a stern look and Tango sighs, but sits back, acknowledging that he’ll have to wait until after the lecture to get the story out of them.

Dex has to force himself to stay focused. He had thought he was getting better at not thinking about Nursey all the time, but after _that_ …well. Even if he wasn’t completely confused, he would still be thinking about Nursey, now that he knows how Nursey kisses.

And it would also help him pay attention if his brain wasn’t constantly looping Nursey’s voice saying ‘ _yes_ ’ like that, like everything had _finally_ slotted into place and worked perfectly now.

“So what happened?” Tango asks the moment the professor dismisses them. “You guys were almost _late!_ Dex is _never_ late!”

“He got waylaid by Nursey,” Chowder says cheerfully.

Tango tilts his head as Dex sputters a little bit. “Oh. But why would Nursey waylay him? Shouldn’t it be the other way around, with it being Nursey’s birthday and all?”

“Apparently, Dex asked Nursey something, which led to the waylaying, but he doesn’t remember what it is.”

“Can we please not talk about this?” Dex asks. He’s trying _very_ hard not to think about Nursey’s mouth, but after the events of this morning, he is—impossibly—thinking about it even _more_ than usual.

“Really? You don’t know? Couldn’t you guess from what Nursey said?” Tango wants to know as they settle in at the corner table in the Comp Sci lobby to go over the newest batch of homework.

“He didn’t say a whole lot,” Dex mutters and _does not_ think of Nursey saying ‘ _yes_ ’ like _that_.

Chowder snickers, but before he can say anything, both his and Tango’s phone ping with an app notification. Both of them look and then…their faces change.

“ _Wow_ ,” Tango finally breathes, right as Dex is about to ask if everything is okay.

“ _Oh_ ,” Chowder says. “ _Oh_ , that explains… _everything_.”

"What explains what?" Dex asks, rubbing his temple slightly.

Tango swipes his finger across his phone. "Ou, he included a video!" He taps his screen.

Much to Dex's horror, he recognises the slightly-tinny music that plays. The humiliation is bitter-tasting and overwhelming, and he wants the ground to open up and swallow him. He should have _known_ something like this would happen.

God, he should have gotten a clue this was all some sort of joke to Nursey when he sent that mocking text about _missing_ Dex because—

"Well, there's nothing I can give that's going to top _that_ ," Chowder sighs and puts away his phone. "And here I was, thinking I had the _perfect_ gift for Nursey."

Dex is drawn up short. "…What?"

"I didn't know you and Nursey were dating," Tango says, putting down his own mobile, interrupting Dex's thoughts. "When did you get together? Does this mean you'll be moving back upstairs? What will you do with your room in the basement if you do? Or do you think that Nursey will want to move in with you? Are you guys doing something special tonight? Does having his birthday and Valentine's on the same day make it easier to remember things?"

"I…what?" What? "We're not…I'm not…he isn't…I don't…he doesn't…" Dex fades out, completely at a loss. "We're not," he finally gets out. "A couple. We're not."

Tango looks confused. "Nursey's calling you his boyfriend in his post. He says that he has the greatest boyfriend ever and that he made him the sweetest, most amazing gift that was ever conceived.”

What? No, there has to be a mistake somewhere. Tango has missed something. Nursey is handsome, intelligent, passionate, talented, and stupidly generous; Dex is…Dex. “We’re not a couple,” he repeats blankly. Nursey is probably referring to some gorgeous and equally intelligent significant other that the team hasn’t met yet because he isn’t talking about Dex. No matter how much Dex likes to dream, he knows the cold, hard reality is he isn't enough for Nursey.

Chowder shakes his head. "Dex, Nursey's been throwing himself—sometimes _literally—_ at you for a _really_ long time. And then you gave him _that_ —there's _no_ way you two aren't a couple now. I mean, that music box was _pretty_ darn clear and I would think after this morning, you have to agree that Nursey was also _very_ clear on his feelings on the matter.”

“It’s a really pretty music box,” Tango agrees. “Very Nursey. How long did it take for you to carve the tree like that and put all those leaves on it? What gave you the idea to make it? Did you think it would help you and Nursey get together? Why did you choose that piece of music? Where’d you learn about that quote? What’s it say? Did you think Nursey would like it that much? Why did you pick a maple leaf? Why not an oak one or a gingko or an elm or something like that?”

"I…don't know? It seemed like a good idea at the time," Dex mumbles. "I mean, I know it's not my best work, but…" He shrugs. He had tried so hard to make it perfect, but in the end, it wasn't as good as Dex wanted it to be. The leaf on the top wasn't symmetrical, Nursey's name was off-centre, and the stain hadn't been the exact colour he wanted. And don't even get him _started_ on the sealant! Plus, the mirror hadn't—

"Seriously?" Chowder gives Dex a very unimpressed look. "You're honestly going to try to sell yourself short on this? _Seriously?!_ C'mon Dex! That thing's utterly _gorgeous!_ There's a _reason_ Nursey's losing his mind over it! It makes your feelings for him _pretty clear_."

"You don't think it was clear?" Tango seems perplexed by the thought. "But how can you think that? It's pretty obvious, don't you think? It must have taken you forever to get everything done!"

"Can we focus on our homework?" Dex asks, desperate to be discussing something else.

"I guess we can come back to this later," Chowder acknowledges. "But we _will_ be returning to it."

"Fine, sure, whatever. Can we _please_ get started?"

Tango looks like he still has eight million more questions, but he swallows them after some consideration and opens his laptop.

Dex determinedly shoves all thoughts of Nursey away and tries to pay attention to his homework. He’s managed to pass his classes, so he’d like to think he was half-good at Thinking About Classwork And Not Nursey, but even the slog of comp sci doesn’t save him today. Staying focused takes far more energy than normal, and judging from the look on Chowder’s face, he’s really not succeeding even a little.

The rest of the morning passes in a sort of a haze. He goes to his last class and lab and work, but he couldn’t tell you what happened in any of them. Despite all his attempts, he is stuck on a loop of Nursey, even more so than he usually is.

And it’s probably because he’s feeling that insidious thing called _hope_ curling around his chest. He tries to stifle it—he _knows_ better than to hope—but Nursey _kissed_ _him_. _HIM_. Nursey is calling _him_ his _boyfriend_ on social media. As if he _deserves_ that! Nursey has said ‘ _yes_ ’, as if Dex has asked.

If it wasn’t too early for April Fools’ Day, Dex would be certain he is being set up for a very elaborate prank.

Still feeling overwhelmed, Dex decides that instead of going to the library to study, he’s going to go hide in his room at the Haus and pretend he’s not in. He needs some time and privacy to try and process what the heck is happening to him.

Like every plan Dex has made since his first arrival at Samwell, Nursey throws a wrench in it.

Instead of being in his class like he's _supposed_ to be, Nursey's lounging on the Green Couch. He lights up like a damn searchlight as Dex comes in and stomps off the snow before wiping his feet. "Hey sweetheart," he says, beaming.

Awkwardly, Dex nods jerkily in his direction. "Nursey." He doesn't know what to do with the pet name, so he doesn't say anything and just heads towards the basement door.

Nursey, of course, has other ideas.

He stumbles to his feet, messenger bag swinging, and drapes his arms over Dex's shoulders. "I've missed you," he murmurs and kisses the other teen slowly, as if Dex is something he wants to savour.

Dex has to blink a few times when Nursey eases back, smiling softly, because he's never seen Nursey so bright. Dex's always considered Nursey to be luminescent, but he's absolutely _radiant_ now. He looks happier than Dex has ever seen him.

That, more than anything, allows Dex to swallow hard and find the courage to speak up. "Um, I was…I was gonna make myself a pizza for dinner tonight and…maybe you'd like to…I don't know, join me or something? I could…easily make another one for you or…you know, something."

Nursey's quiet smile gets more intense and brighter. "I want mine to be heart-shaped," he demands happily.

"No."

"Aw, c'mon, Poindexter!"

"No."

"It's Valentine's Day!"

"All the more reason to say 'no'."

"It's my birthday!"

"Still no."

Nursey curls one of his arms just enough that he can play with the short hairs at the nape of Dex's neck. "Is there nothing I can do to convince you?" He asks lowly, leaning in so his lips are almost touching Dex's.

"Nothing. But if you don't complain, I could…I could be convinced to let you put pineapple on yours," Dex offers, trying very hard to focus on the conversation they're having, but Nursey's mouth is _right there_ …

"You drive a hard bargain," Nursey says, brushing the tip of his nose against Dex's, "but I think I could live with that, but only if you promise not to chirp me for my pineapple."

"Deal."

Nursey smile returns and he closes the distance between them, kissing Dex and Dex feels his toes curl.

"FINE!" Someone yells behind Dex.

Nursey pulls back and looks over Dex's shoulder. "You can't fine me—it's my birthday. I know for a _fact_ that Bitty changed the Bylaws to reflect that."

"I'm not fining you—I'm fining Dex." Louis sounds smug as Dex detangles himself from Nursey enough to turn a little bit.

Dex opens his mouth, but before he can do more than that, Nursey scowls. “You’re telling me you’re fining my _boyfriend_ on _my birthday_ and not only that, but _Valentine’s Day_ as well?” He cuddles closer, still glaring. “Wow, Louis. Classy. Real classy.”

“It’s in the rules!” Louis blusters, wrong-footed and fumbling.

"Yes, because you care _so_ much about the Bylaws." Nursey awkwardly pulls out his wallet and thumbs out a few bills while refusing to let go of Dex. "Here. Take that. C'mon Dex, let's get out of here." He grabs one of Dex's hands and starts to tug him away.

"Can I drop my backpack off in my room?" Dex asks as Nursey leads them towards the stairs.

Nursey turns and immediately heads towards the basement door, carefully catching his oddly-bulky messenger bag from swinging out too far. "We can _definitely_ go to your bungalow."

"It's _not_ a bungalow."

"Boudoir?"

" _No._ "

"Love shack?"

"Nursey, I _swear to god_ … _!_ "

Nursey laughs gently. "Okay, okay, okay. Your _bed_ room.” The way he says it makes Dex’s face flush.

Thankfully—despite having Nursey’s arms curled around his waist and his face nuzzling into the curve of Dex’s neck—he manages to unlock his door without gouging it or scratching the brass.

Not that it matters—he barely gets the door closed behind them and Nursey’s crowding into his personal space, angling his face towards Dex’s in a _very_ obvious request.

Dex swallows hard, prays that if this is a dream that he won’t wake up for a while, and leans forwards, carefully brushing his mouth against Nursey’s. He feels Nursey smile.

They kiss slowly for a few minutes and Dex allows himself to let go of some of his tension. He doesn’t let himself hope, but he does let down his guard, just a little bit. Maybe—just _maybe_ —everything that’s happening means what Dex desperately _wants_ it all to mean.

Dex forces himself to step back when Nursey’s mouth starts to get hot and insistent. “I have to get the dough started for the crust,” he says when Nursey lets out a disappointed whine. “And I’d like to put my backpack down.”

Nursey manages to look hot and exceedingly put out at the same time.

It’s enough that Dex adds, “but once the dough is going in my bread machine, it’ll be an hour or so before I can do anything else with it.”

The poet blinks, and then he smiles slowly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then, in _that_ case…” Nursey kicks off his shoes and flops down on Dex’s bed, messenger bag in his lap. “I’ll just wait for you to come back.” He gives Dex a heavy-lidded look that’s _full_ of promise.

His ears abruptly get very hot and Nursey's smile picks up a predatory edge, so Dex makes himself turn away and tuck his backpack neatly on the small sideways crate that's between his desk and the door. "Um…yeah. I'll…it'll be a minute. I'll be back soon. Uh, make yourself comfortable, I guess."

Nursey only winks and Dex forces himself to leave.

It doesn't take him too long to get everything measured out and set up in the bread machine and Dex makes sure to set his phone alarm before he goes back down to his room because he knows he isn't going to get a chance to the moment he opens the door.

Nursey has clearly taken him at his word and made himself a nest on the end of Dex’s bed, using the afghan Ford had knitted him (she claimed it was for his birthday/Christmas, but he suspected it had more to do with the set of _The Golden Apple_ he’d help build at the eleventh hour more than anything else…and all the brownie bits he made for her during Tech Week), his grandmother’s quilt, and the throw pillows his cousins Katie and Mike had embroidered; Aunt Kateri’s woven blanket is tossed around his shoulders and Dex’s high school hockey fleece blanket is draped over his legs. Oddly, the messenger bag is poking out from under the fleece on Nursey’s lap and Dex has no idea why he feels the need to keep the bag so close instead of putting it on the floor next to the bed. However, on the scale of Nursey-Weirdness, this ranks pretty low, so Dex doesn't say anything.

Dex goes to turn his desk chair around, but Nursey awkwardly scoots over a little bit and pats the small opened space next to him before holding his arm up invitingly. Dex hesitates for a moment, unsure, but he gathers up his courage and sits in his chair so he can untie his boots. "You have to promise that you won't make a fuss when I have to go back upstairs to make our dinner," he warns.

He can _feel_ Nursey's happy glow. "I promise _nothing_."

" _Nursey_."

"Nope, I shan't promise that. Can't."

"You mean _'won't_ '."

"Well, maybe a little bit. But can you blame me?" Nursey immediately snuggles up against Dex's chest the moment he gets on the bed next to him. He moves his bag so it is next to them, but doesn’t take it off. "We're going to be cuddled up here, with you whispering sweet nothings in my ear, and you think I'm just going to let you go, just like that?"

"I'll be leaving to make you your _dinner_. And I'm _not_ going to doing that whole 'sweet nothings' thing."

"Your idea of sweet nothings are fond chirps," Nursey buries his surprisingly cold nose into the crook of Dex's neck and he has to stifle a yelp. "I repeat— _can't_ let you go without a fight. _Won't_."

"Fucking _hell_ , Nursey! Why the fuck is your nose so co-OLD! Jesus _Christ_ , your hands are like ice!" He tries to pull Nursey's hands out from under his shirt where he's burrowed them. "Stop that!"

"No. You're warm. It's your boyfriendly duty to warm me up." Nursey presses in harder. "Plus, you smell nice."

"Empty flattery doesn't change the fact that your hands are fuckin' _freezing_ and you're trying to jam them _up my damn shirt_. And I never agreed to be your personal space heater!" Dex pushes at the offending hands in question, but he doesn't use his full strength because he doesn't want to accidentally hurt Nursey.

"It's in the boyfriend contract. And it's not empty flattery if it's true. You smell like stubbornness and home."

"That doesn't even make _sense_ ," Dex complains and makes another attempt to pry Nursey's hands out from under his shirt.

Nursey makes a sad, protesting noise and tries to defy physics by snuggling in closer. “But your room is cold,” he mumbles into freckled skin. “You need to keep me warm.”

“…As a proposition, that was pretty terrible.”

Dex can feel Nursey’s lips curl up into a smile. “Wasn’t a proposition, but I would _definitely_ be down with you keeping me warm that way.”

“ _Nursey._ ”

“What? It’s a ‘swawesome idea!”

“We have less than an hour, or did you forget about dinner?”

“I could have you done in that timeframe, easy-peasy! And I’ll bet you could finish me off just as quickly!”

“That’s not the point!” Dex snaps, face flaming. “Seriously, why the fuck would you want to rush…things…like that? Don’t you think you _deserve_ to be treated with more respect than some sort of quick fling?”

Nursey looks up and his face is borderline adoring.

“…Well?” Dex demands.

“Dex,” Nursey says, voice happy and fond, “you couldn’t do a quick fling if your life _depended_ on it. _Everyone_ knows when you play, you play for _keeps_. If I’m suggesting sex, it’s because I know you’ll blow my mind. And not just once. For the rest of my known existence. And I’d like to get started on that as _soon_ as possible.” He curls one hand around Dex’s jaw and tries to guide Dex’s mouth down to his.

Dex digs in his heels. “I’m not…it’s not…I’m not going to rush things just because _you’re_ feeling a bit horny! I…if we’re going to be…I’m going to do this _right_ and take as much time as we need! I’m not going to squash things into a shortened timeline just because _you_ —”

Nursey kisses him, hungry and eager. “Sweet-talker,” he mumbles as he tries to climb further into Dex’s lap before kissing him deeply again.

“We are _not_ —” Dex starts to say before being cut off. “Would you just _knock it_ —” He tries again and Nursey pulls his mouth back down. “Nurse—”

Nursey must be taking all the heat from his hands and concentrating it in his mouth because it’s positively _scorching_.

Dex’s fingers curl deeply into Nursey’s shoulders before he finds the strength to push him back and _hold_ him there. “ _Nursey_ ,” he says and he has to clear his throat because his voice is thick and rough. “Seriously, knock it off. We have a history of poor communication between us and I don’t want to fuck this up before we even get started because we didn’t _talk_ at the beginning.”

Nursey’s pretty face— _somehow_ —gets even _more_ besotted. “Okay.”

“That…wasn’t particularly helpful. Okay _what_.”

“Okay, we’ll talk relationship stuff.” The fingers that are still under Dex’s shirt absently start petting his side before Dex manages to pry them out. He _really_ doesn’t need that distraction on top of all the other ones Nursey is providing.

Nursey makes a disappointed sound that Dex desperately tries to ignore. He distracts himself by saying “we can…still…cuddle, but I don’t want your freezing hands up my shirt.”

"But _Deeee-eeex_ ," Nursey whines, trying to unbutton the top couple of buttons of Dex's shirt so he can bury his ( _very_ ) cold nose deeper in to the freckled neck in front of him. "It's your _job_. You're my _boyfriend_. Plus! It’s my _birthday!_ ”

Dex sighs. “C’mon Nursey, work with me here. We can’t…we can’t just _go_ with things, not for something as important as this. We have to talk this shit out a little bit. Let’s do this _right_ so we can move forward with a clear conscience.”

Nursey huffs and flips himself so his back is to Dex’s chest and his messenger bag is in his lap on the blanket. “ _Fine_.” He grabs Dex’s hands and weaves their fingers together before clutching them to his chest. “I’ll be crazy direct so we can move on to _better_ things. I want to go on dates and I want to be exclusive and I want to spend the night and I want you to fuck my brains out and I want to choke on—”

“ _Jesus fuckin’ Christ_ , Nursey!”

And Dex is _not_ envisioning _that_ right now, not in high-definition, not even in pixelated detail, not at _all_.

_Really_. He _isn’t_.

Nursey can’t seem to help himself and he laughs so hard that he snorts a few times. Dex glares down at him, but Nursey’s too happy and entertained to care. His eyes sparkle as he tilts his head back so he can look Dex in the eye. “Pervert. I was _gonna_ say ‘your pie’, but you had to go and be _filthy_.”

“That is _not_ what you were going to say and you know it!” Dex glares harder.

“Well, you’ll never know for _certain_ now, will you, since you had to go and interrupt me and all. Rude!” Despite his words, Nursey snuggles in closer and pulls the arms around him in tighter. “You should have thought that through better. Besides, _you’re_ the one who wanted to talk it all out. And relationships are _all_ about boundaries and managing expectations and communication and shit like that. How are we supposta know each other’s’ hard ‘no’s if we don’t talk about them before you fuck my—”

“ _Nursey, for fuck sake…!_ ” Dex is pretty sure if any more blood goes to his cheeks, his face will explode.

“I am _telling_ you what I want! Clear communication!”

“You just went _straight_ to—”

“—Pretty sure there isn’t anything _straight_ ‘bout this convo—”

“—The whole…sex…part of the relationship, with almost _nothing_ about the other parts!” Dex makes himself pause to breathe before continuing on. “Like, you said you wanted to go on dates, but you didn’t specify who should pay, what you expect from said dates, what you want to do if you’re asked out by someone else—”

“Hold the phone.” Nursey twists slightly and looks up at Dex. “The hell, man. ‘What I want to do if someone else asks me out’? What kind of question is _that?_ ”

“It’s a reasonable one—”

“No, it _isn’t!_ Do you think that I’m gonna, I don’t know, cheat or something at the first possible opportunity? I _just_ said I want to be exclusive!” A hurt expression settles on his face.

Dex sighs. “That’s not what I meant. I meant that you’re going to get asked out by people—it’s been happening since freshman year and it probably won’t be changing anytime in the near future. I wanted to know how you wanted to address it. Are you planning to just tell everyone ‘no’ or are you planning to say that you’re already in a relationship, or what? Because I don’t want to assume that you want to tell everyone or anything.”

Nursey softens. “It might a bit late on the whole ‘not telling everyone’ front, ‘cuz I already posted it all over the internet,” he admits. “And I changed all of my relationship statuses on my profiles. And I told my mom. And my grandparents. And at least three different aunts. And two second cousins once-removed. And I _may_ have said one or two things in my classes today. And—”

“ _Jesus_ , Nursey! What if I wanted to keep our relationship private? Or—at _least_ —not yell it from the rooftops until we talked?”

Nursey has the grace to look a little abashed. “I may or may not have gotten a little excited about everything,” he acknowledges. “I guess…with how clear you made your intentions, I might have gotten swept up in the moment.”

“My _what?_ ”

“Your intentions!” Nursey pulls his messenger bag out from under a blanket and spends a minute unsnapping and unzipping everything. He reverentially pulls out a wadded-up cardigan. Before Dex can ask, Nursey slowly unwraps it and the music box that Dex made is in the centre.

Nursey touches the leaf on the top gently. “This is the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever given me,” he says softly. “And the most thoughtful. Seriously, this is probably the best present anyone’s given me.”

“You parents gave you a _two-month_ long vacation to _Europe_ for your graduation,” Dex points out, annoyed. “And your grandparents gave you—”

“Doesn’t even come _close_ to comparing. Don’t get me wrong, those were some nice gifts, but _this_ ”—Nursey opens it up and ghosts his fingers over the tree, not quite touching it—“is _perfect_. It’s a grand gesture, but one that’s done in the quietest and most intimate way possible. It’s a declaration _just_ for me.”

Dex has absolutely _no_ idea how to respond to that, so he keeps his mouth shut.

Thankfully, Nursey doesn't seem to notice. He cradled the open music box for a few moments, smiling slightly.

After a few moments, he shuts it gently. "I like the term 'boyfriend'," he says.

"…What?"

"I like 'boyfriend'. 'Partner' is a little too clinical and could mean anything from friendship to business relationships to whatever, and 'Lover' feels a bit more sexual and like it should be something a little bit tawdry. 'Suitor' feels out-of-touch, while 'paramour' is just…I dunno, it's just sort of…feels like I should be ashamed or something. 'Boyfriend' isn't perfect, but I like it the best of the current options. It'll do, for now."

"…Okay?"

Nursey tilted his head back on Dex's shoulder so he can see his smile. "I'm telling you I want you to call me your boyfriend."

"…Oh."

"I mean, we're a little early in the relationship to be discussing wedding plans—"

Dex chokes.

"—So we can't go that route yet. Until that point, I consider 'boyfriend' to be the best term for me."

"I—who—I never—what the _hell_ —why would you _say—_ "

Nursey reaches up and pats Dex's cheek. "But don't worry—I can wait. Just know that I'll expect you to eventually make an honest man of me."

"We haven't— _Jesus fuckin' Christ_ , Nursey! We haven't even been together for a full day and you're already talking…we've barely discussed the bare basics of the relationship!"

"So?"

"'So'? ' _So_ '?! We don't even know that this will _work_ , much less _last_ and—"

"Dex. You don't do _anything_ without over-thinking the _shit_ out of it, and you would _never_ enter a romantic relationship that you hadn't made like, fifty charts for, first." Nursey speaks as if these are all well-known facts. "Of _course_ we're going to get married—you wouldn't enter _any_ relationship where that wasn't a _very_ distinct possibility that was supported by all your little charts and you _never_ do anything you truly don’t want to do. _Everything_ you do is with a specific endgame in sight and ain’t _nobody_ swaying you from that path! You're going to sweep me off of my feet and we're going to ride off into the sunset, to a future of fond chirps, a cat, picket fences, a _sick_ house you built for me with lots of built-ins, and two-point-four children."

"…If you think we're having children, you're clearly failing your Human Anatomy class even worse than I thought, because male human biology doesn't even _remotely_ work that way."

Nursey snorts before dissolving into loud laughter. "Asshole," he wheezes out a few minutes later. "I meant like _adoption_ , you literal fucker!"

"We're _not_ fu—"

"Not _yet_ , we aren't." Nursey waggles his eyebrows. "It's a mere technicality that will be remedied in the _very_ near future." He leers a little at Dex. "I _fully_ intend to have the entire team yell 'fine' at me when I hobble into practice tomorrow morning—unless, of course, that’s not your jam."

“I— _Jesus_.” Dex looks away. “I thought…I thought we’d figure that out…together, I guess,” he mumbles. “What our…what we wanted and like and such.”

“I will _definitely_ be up for experimenting with you— _pun intended_.”

" _Nursey!_ " Dex is pretty sure his face is about to explode—yet _again_ —from how much blood just rushed up to it.

“Don’t worry—I’m sure you’ll make the whole experience _more_ than worth it.” Nursey’s face gets a little dreamy. “I cannot _wait_ to see those _hands_ in action! _Uhn!_ ”

“ _Fucking hell_ ,” Dex mutters and tries to not to combust with the sudden surge of embarrassed lust that rushes through him.

Nursey twists so he can look up at Dex. “C’mon, Dexy! You gave me the _ultimate_ courting gift—you _can’t_ be surprised by any of this. Clearly, you’ve been thinking of marriage and domestic bliss and Happily Ever After for even longer than _I_ have—and I have thought about it, a _lot_.” His voice softens. “And the reality is _so_ much better than I could have hoped for!”

Dex swallows hard. “I…I never…I didn’t expect…I wasn’t sure…it’s just…I didn’t know…” He fumbles, trying to find words, and then gives up. “I haven’t…let…myself think that far ahead.”

“Why not?” Nursey sounds genuinely confused. “I mean, you made me _this_ —why _wouldn’t_ we be riding off into the sunset together in complete and utter wedded bliss? Isn’t that what you want?”

“I wasn’t…I didn’t…yes. It’s what I want.”

His answering smile is dazzling. “Good. Because I want that, too. We’re _totally_ going to be that nauseating couple everyone can’t stand because our sex life is _obvi_ a thousand times better than theirs is!”

“ _Nursey._ ”

“You’re right—it’s going to be a _million_ times better! And there are going to be days where you carry me down to breakfast because the night before you _totally_ —”

“ _Nursey!_ ” Dex is _not_ thinking about it. He is _staying focused_ on the discussion at hand. He is _not_ distracted by Nursey’s naked desires—and he is _not_ picturing Nursey naked, either!

And he is _not_ thinking about what Nursey said about his hands or the fact that Nursey keeps _petting_ them as he holds them close to his chest!

Nursey laughs at Dex’s red face, but doesn’t chirp him further. Instead, he tries to snuggle in closer and Dex abruptly realises _exactly_ where Nursey’s ass is.

Thankfully, Dex’s spared any further embarrassment because the timer on his phone goes off. He tries to take his hands back. "That's for our dinner. Up."

Nursey resists. " _No_."

"C'mon Nursey, I can't make you your pizza if you don't let go."

"A sacrifice I am _more_ than willing to make."

" _Nursey_."

" _Deeeeex_."

Dex sighs. "Look it, I know you want to cuddle and all, but we can after we eat and do our homework." He has a sudden inspiration. "And you'll probably enjoy it more because I won't be thinking of all the things I have to get done, and will be thinking only about you."

Nursey's face squinches a little and he glares up at Dex. "That, Mr William J. Poindexter," he accuses, "is a low-down and dirty tactic to get your way! It's not fair of you to dangle that in front of me as incentive!"

"Um…okay? I'm…sorry?" As usual, he has _no_ idea what's going on in the other's head.

Nursey lets go of Dex's hands and starts wrapping his music box up in his cardigan again, muttering. "Yeah, I'll just _bet_ you're sorry. 'Gee Nursey, I'll give you what you've been trying to get for fuckin' _ever_ if you just let me make you dinner'. As if I'd say ' _no_ ' to that…!” He carefully shoves the entire bundle back into his messenger bag and zips it all up again.

"Uh…"

"And then he has to add 'don't forget to do your _homework_ ', as if there _isn't_ already too much time in between already!" He starts to peel off blankets and quilts, and Dex grabs a few to quickly refold as they're shed. "Fuckin' dangling honeyed _carrot_." He stalks over to his shoes and tries to shove his feet in without untying them.

Dex gives up trying to figure out what Nursey's on about and slides on his slippers. He pauses, but hesitantly offers his hand to him when he straightens up.

Nursey's bad mood seems to vanish instantly. He beams and grabs the proffered hand happily. "Well, when you put it _that_ way…"

As Dex locks his door, he thinks of that phrase—'good things come to those who wait'—and for the first time in his life, he thinks it might have some truth in it.

“What? What are you smiling about?” Nursey drapes himself over Dex’s shoulders.

“Nothing. It’s just…you know the idea that patience will pay off?”

“You mean, a ‘good things come to those to wait’ kind of thing?”

“Yeah.” Dex glances over as best he can with Nursey’s face hovering right to his ear. “It’s…I’m glad I waited.”

Nursey is silent for a moment. “You sayin’ I’m a good thing, Poindexter?” He says after he clears his throat, clearly going for a light tone and failing miserably.

Dex takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “…The best.”

Nursey is quiet for so long that Dex starts to panic internally. _Fuck_ , hesitations _never_ mean _anything_ good. He should have kept his big mouth—

Nursey makes a soft sound. “ _God_ , who knew you’d have such a romantic side? Are you trying to out-romance me? Is that what this is? Because it’s not fair when you say things like that to me with no warning and expect me to _function_ after! _I’m_ the one who was born on Valentine’s Day— _I_ should be the one out-romancing _you!_ ”

“Maybe you were born on February fourteenth so other people would romance _you_ and you would get to reap the all the benefits of it, instead of it being some sort of competition.”

“No. Nope. Nuh-uh. You just threw down the gauntlet— _again_ —and I need to up my game. I don’t know how I’m going to overcome the lead you’ve gotten, but I’ll think of something.” Nursey presses his lips to Dex’s cheek and Dex has to duck his head to try and hide the blush he can feel forming _again_. “In the meantime, I think you promised me pineapple on my pizza, Honey-Bunny.”

“No. You do _not_ get to call me ‘honey-bunny’. Obnoxious terms of endearment are _out_.”

“Sweet-Cheeks?”

“No.”

“Snookums?”

“No, Nursey.”

“Sun-buns?”

“ _No,_ Nursey.”

“Sugar-Booger?”

“Nursey, _I swear to god…!_ ”

_x Fin x_

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism and comments are always welcomed!


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